The Love of Laughter

We meet for coffee
Ordering our favorite, hot, steaming beverage
In a mug that fits perfectly into the hands

We begin catching up with one another
Sharing about life events
Future plans

Taking turns talking
Darting from one topic to another
Then back again to the same topic
Oblivious to the buzz and chatter
Of the cafe and people around us

We pause between words
Lift the mug to the lips
Inhale the intoxicating scent of that
Dark liquid gold
Take a sip
Feel it touch the tongue
And slide down the throat

Next the conversation takes a turn
For the lighter side
We share something that
Only the two of us would find funny
We begin to laugh together

What we laugh about
Is something that could be crushed
By the weight of sadness
Were it to be viewed in that way

Nevertheless, we laugh
This is how we have chosen to
Meet these life moments

Laughing til our faces hurt
Laughing til we can no longer form words
Laughing til we can’t breathe
Laughing til our stomach muscles contract with pain
Laughing til the laughter spreads to the people next to us
Laughing til the laughter
Sprouts wings
Fluttering down the lane
Infecting all in its path
Taking to the skies
Bringing laughter to the clouds
The sun, the stars, the moon

When the wave of laughter subsides
We take a deep breath,
sip our coffee
And think how good this felt

We open our minds
And see into one another’s soul
With this shared experience

Our sense of humor is our virtue
There is nothing that compares
to this type of joy shared together.

Camilla Downs, 2024